This year publishing of another edition of
Latvian folksongs was started. The editor of it was Roberts
Klaustins (1875-1962), the title - "Latvju tautas
dainas". The edition comprised 12 volumes (compared to Barons'
6 volumes). In 1927 the editor applies to LFK for support and
copies of the recently collected texts. Still, the contents of
this edition was found to be mainly just a re-arrangement of texts
from "Latvju Dainas", and the pretentious claim of the
Society of
Research of Antiquity
(which was behind this edition and promised scholarly interpretations
of all texts, the most comprehensive and informative work, etc.)
influenced the decision and the Board of the Archives replied
with a comment that they consider the existing editions good enough
and that LFK will publish its collections itself, when they will
have reached the necessary state for publishing.
Still it didn't stop this edition. It differs from that edited
by Barons in several aspects:
The last feature has made this edition easier accessible for the average modern Latvian, although the general composition of the edition is inferior to that of "Latvju Dainas".
And another interesting feature, displaying
the morale and attitude of the time. Also Klaustins has a separate
volume devoted to the "naughty" songs. But if Barons
only placed in his volume the texts discussing sexual intercourse
or using bad language, Klaustins added to that of his edition
also the texts speaking of childbirth as such. It must be admitted
that he still managed to obtain some more recently collected texts,
which were included also in this volume. Possibly this was because
there was a change in LFK's management (see History).
